In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS): The Basics

In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) provide people with low-income who are blind, disabled, or 65 years old or older with personal assistance and other services so they can live safely in their homes. Services range from assistance with household chores to personal care, such as dressing, bathing, and paramedical services. Some IHSS can also be used in the workplace. IHSS is often seen as an alternative to out-of-home placement, such as assisted living or nursing facilities. The program is funded by state, county, and federal dollars.

When the county gets your application for IHSS, the county will contact you to schedule a home visit. During the home visit, a county employee will do a needs assessment to see what types of IHSS you require to stay safely in your own home and the number of hours that will be paid for by the program. IHSS recipients may qualify for up to 283 hours of service per month.

Budget cuts to IHSS

Over the last several years, the California state government has made some cuts to IHSS services, reducing the number of hours of services IHSS recipients may get. Over time, those cuts will go down, meaning that the program will not need to reduce your IHSS hours as much. This article does not go into detail about these IHSS budget issues.

Important Note on Health Care Reform

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has made big changes to our health care system. These changes have expanded health coverage to more people and created new consumer rights. If you don't have coverage, there may be affordable options for you.

DB101 is being updated to reflect changes that have taken place. Some of what you read here about health coverage may not be accurate anymore, or may be changing soon.